For years, William Gouge’s Domestical
Duties has stood as the foremost
Puritan treatment of Christian family
life. Yet due to its size and
antiquated expression, it has become
almost unknown among current
generations of believers. To help
revive the usefulness of this classic
book, Scott Brown and Joel R. Beeke
divided Gouge’s work into three
manageable volumes, updated the
language to modern standards, and have
given it the title Building a Godly
Home.
In the second volume, A Holy Vision for
a Happy Marriage, we find detailed
counsel about the most important
relationship in the family—husband and
wife. Gouge carefully addresses what a
fit marriage is and the proper way to
enter into one. He then discusses the
mutual duties married couples share in
order for marriage to survive and
thrive, as well as the duties specific
to men and women respectively. Not only
does he give detailed treatment of how
these responsibilities are best
expressed and too often hindered, but
he also provides ample biblical
motivation to set us on the right
course. Christian husbands and wives
will find much encouragement in this
book.